The Academy Is… – Santi

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When The Academy Is… was signed to Fueled by Ramen before their last release, it was awkwardly apparent that this was a direct result of the band befriending emo poster boy Pete Wentz. Wentz passed the demo to Fueled by Ramen, and before you knew it, Chicago had another band to watch out for. However, a lot of time has passed since they’re first full-length and now the “scene” that Pete Wentz and Fall Out Boy claim as theirs, is not what it was a year ago. However, TAI’s music isn’t what it was a year ago either.

Santi is difficult not to like. This is mainly due to the plethora of different musical styles and genres on the album. Songs like the bass-driven You Might Have Noticed sound extremely alternative and grunge influenced, whereas the album’s first single We’ve Got a Big Mess On Our Hands is a pop-punk melody driven party anthem. Other songs such as Seed and Neighbors are equally as catchy and respectable.

Santi shows a clear maturation of TAI but because the entire album doesn’t seem to coincide smoothly, there is still room for a more aware and refined TAI. This is also the first album that the current band wrote together, thus explaining the differences between this album and the previous. With some awkward points on the album as well as a dwindling emo/pop-punk scene, it’s becoming harder to win over fans with an intermediate album that is heavily influenced by classic rock.